Making a Difference with North County Lifeline
Amanda Wooldridge
Political Science 102: American Institutions & History
Instructor: Kristen Huyck
For my Service Learning Project I took the opportunity to volunteer with North County
Lifeline (NCL) which is a local nonprofit organization that helps low income families
and children in need in the North County San Diego area. North County Lifeline organizes
afterschool programs, housing assistance for low income families, relief for domestic
violence victims, as well as offering support for local foster youth.
As a psychology student, I was interested in helping an organization with a great
multitude of local support resources like North County Lifeline. I thought this would
be a great opportunity for me to get involved with an institution that functions to
serve and support our community. As someone whose family has had to utilize community
based programs in the past, such as food banks and emergency shelters, I appreciate
the efforts and passion that people involved with North County Lifeline (both employees
and volunteers) are putting into their community outreach programs. I was happy I
was able to help them facilitate the events and activities that provide hope and comfort
to many families and children in the area.
One of the things I was very thankful for was that North County Lifeline has a variety
of ongoing activities that they need volunteers for. There was a new project each
day I volunteered. This organization definitely stays very busy. They are involved
with Kiwanis International, who work with North County Lifeline and I really enjoyed
working with them at their fundraiser to eliminate Maternal Neonatal Tetanus in third
world countries. The older crowd involved with the fundraiser were so nice and loved
to talk about school and life. I was assigned to sell tickets for an opportunity drawing
and I was able to meet a lot of new people, which was great!
I also helped North County Lifeline with their La Casita After School Program for
K-5th grade kids. The few days that I was there helped kids learn through arts and
crafts, as well as helping them with assessments that allowed them to get placed in
appropriate grade level tutoring. Some of the most interesting conversations you’ll
ever have are with kids under the age of ten. After working with the kids for a few
days, North County Lifeline asked me to help set up and prepare for their Annual Board
Members meeting. When I showed up that day I saw some familiar people from both the
Kiwanis fundraiser as well as La Casita, so it was great to start seeing some of the
same faces.
The last event I was able to help out with was North County Lifeline Winter Nutrition
Bag Drive which provides bags of food to low income families in the area. They brought
a truck load of food and drinks on seven pallets and we unloaded and worked together
as an assembly line to fill over 220 bags. It was awesome to work with other volunteers
as we got such a large task completed in a matter of about three hours. The end result
was so satisfying and I know that we were able to help support and provide some sort
of relief for so many families during these cold winter months leading up to the holidays.
This service learning project was so very valuable for me because I was given the
chance to help with a variety of different projects and groups that actually all had
a similar objective; supporting resiliency in our local, and global communities. I
am a firm believer in the notion that each individual has the ability to create changes
in the community around them. Making even a small impression can change a person’s
day, and possibly even change a child’s perception of their future. Every individual
has the power to make a difference, even if it’s a small difference.
Remembering Course Terms
Chloris Aguilar
Sociology 102: Contemporary Social Problems
Instructor: Leyenda Jacobson
The site that I have chosen for my service learning is Glenner Memory Care Center.
The founders of the first Center, which opened in 1982 in Hillcrest, California are
Dr. George Glenner and his wife Joy Glenner. Dr. George Glenner was a leading researcher
who wanted to do whatever he could to help people with Alzheimer's disease and other
dementias. There are now three different locations in Southern California, and with
over five million people living with Alzheimer's, they are greatly needed. According
to alz.org, Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in America and one in
three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or dementia. In our class focused on social problems,
we framed Alzheimer's as a social problem, not just a problem of old age, because
it is a condition that has negative consequences on many people.
Dr. Glenner had many resources, which are important in a social problem process. He
worked for UC San Diego School of Medicine and focused most of his time researching
and understanding Alzheimer's disease. The medicalization of the disease came about
when Dr. Alzheimer thought there was more than just the belief that as you get older
your memories fade with you. So when one of his long time patients who suffered from
memory problems, confusion, and difficultly understanding died he performed a brain
autopsy and discovered plaques and tangles surrounding the nerve cells. The conclusion
of his finding created what we now know as Alzheimer’s disease, over a hundred years
ago. His patient could be looked at as a typifying example because she was the first
person identified who lived with the disease. He used his subjective experience, which
caused him to become an activist and create a diagnosis.
Some of the language associated with Alzheimer's is old age, senility, confusion,
forgetfulness, broken and lost objects. My service learning site, the Glenner Memory
Care Center is a cultural institution because they provide more than health care to
victims with cognitive conditions. Not only do they help their patients but they help
the caregivers and families as well. They claim to have everything under one roof,
which I witnessed firsthand. They have nurses, a dietitian, activity coordinators,
lots of help and love. They address many different cognitive issues and take from
minor cases to more serious cases of dementia and Alzheimer's. Another claim I read
on their website is that they have individual programs. 1 hadn't seen that executed
until this past week where one of the participants was having pain in his leg and
an expert took him to the side and did personal physical therapy with him while the
rest continued on exercise routines created for them by their doctors. For example
some of the physically stronger men used a five- pound weight while another man would
only use a one-pound weight, because he had a more difficult time focusing and remembering
what he was doing. The activity director knew exactly which patient needed which weight
and what they were and weren't capable of.
Although mostly everyone knows what Alzheimer's is, I believe people don't understand
the tremendous affect it has until they have lived with someone who is going through
this horrible disease. By being at the Glenner Center and talking to the victims you
see how far their rmemory has faded. I sat with a man for thirty minutes and he talked
about the same narrative three different times. There needs to be more awareness of
and education about the disease. Experts are the most influential claims makers, and
I feel we need more relevant spokespersons the young people could connect with to
get them involved on this major issue.
What I have learned at my site is that the staff’s main priority is to help the patients
feel like they're not alone. They are doing what the professionals (doctors and scientists)
say is therapeutic, such as physical, music, art, and pet activities. These activities
have all been designed to help people diagnosed with any form of dementia and Alzheimer's.
Such activity doesn't reverse memory loss but helps with everyday living. According
to alz.org as of now there is no cure for Alzheimer's but they have noticed an encouraging
trend to slow it down, where the patients aren't getting significantly worse. In some
cases the doctor has said they will be this bad in "x" amount of time, but with the
help of these programs, there is an increase of brain function and improvement of
muscle function in patients.
At Glenner Center I was able to help the patients during games and activities. I have
witnessed the struggle it is to care for someone with Alzheimer's disease and memory
loss. Remembering something as simple as your name is a challenge for them. What is
great about the center is that the patients get to interact with one another rather
than just laying down all day at home. I was also able to help the staff during one
of the workout sessions. The patients enjoy the various activities like bingo, trivia
question and even going outside for a walk. I really enjoyed the experience, and I
look forward to continue to going outside of the class to work with the patients and
see improvements in them. The staff at the Glenner Center is great as well, and I
was even able to do an interview with the program coordinator. He told me about his
background in medicine, and it was refreshing to hear how passionate he is about helping
the patients.
The Glenner Memory Care Center is an essential institution not only for the people
living with cognitive inabilities but also their families. The center offers a free
support group every Wednesday and usually has over twenty participants including family
members and other caregivers. The information I have read online is almost exactly
what I have seen in person. The people who work at Glenner care about the patients
and hope to make a positive impact on everyone's life. It is a phenomenal place filled
with positivity and care. It really is a wonderful place and I am so happy I chose
the Glenner Memory Care Center for my service learning, because I now have great respect
for families and patients suffering from this unbearable disease. It has helped me
better understand what we've been learning in class for example, and now I am able
to recognize and comprehend so many terms that were used throughout the course and
connect them to everyday life.
Kids Eight & Nine, Are Divine
Cierra Souflis
Child Development 113: Child & Adolescent Growth & Development
Instructor: Penny Skemp
I chose to do my service learning at Palmquist Elementary School in Oceanside, CA.The
grade that I decided to observe and interact with was third grade. I have worked with
children ranging from six weeks to thirteen years old, but I enjoy working with all
age groups. I chose this age group because these kids are still sponges soaking up
all the information they are taught, but they have gained enough knowledge already
where they are starting to become their own person. I have also noticed that this
is the time when the children start to differentiate from each other, academically;
they either stand out or start to fall behind. This is a crucial time where you can
make a difference in a child’s life. I was really excited for this project because,
while I have worked with all age groups, I have never been in a school setting before,
so this was a new experience for me.
While observing and interacting with the kids, I witnessed several concepts being
played out. Children playing on the playground--boys with boys and girls with girls--displayed
the culture of children, because they are segregated by gender. Kids in this group
are still in the phase of ‘boys are gross’ or ‘girls are gross,’ so they stick to
their own gender when it comes to playing. During recess, seeing kids play in groups
or by themselves demonstrated the different types of play that Mildred Parten discovered,
whether it was solitary, onlooker, parallel, associative or cooperative play. Just
by watching the kids, I was able to pinpoint what type of play each one represented.
For example, two boys were playing marbles right next to each other but they weren’t
playing together. This type of play is called parallel play where the kids play with
the same thing in similar ways but are not playing together. In the classroom I was
able to pick up on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences while the teacher was helping
the students learn the multiples of nine. She taught them a song that went to the
rhythm of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. This type of teaching helps kids that have
strengths in music. While helping kids with a worksheet, I worked with a girl that
was an English language learner. She is behind in learning because she hasn’t been
in American schools very long. I witnessed her struggle with English and felt I was
able to help her a little, but she still has a lot of work to do to catch up with
the other kids.
This service learning experience was fantastic and it showed me that I am on the correct
career path. I love working with children and making a difference in their lives,
so I have chosen to be a pediatric occupational therapist. Working with these third
graders was really enjoyable and showed me that I can make a difference. Even if it
was just a little time that I spent with them, I felt like I did make a difference.
It gives me great satisfaction that I was able to be a part of these kids’ educational
journeys. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this service learning project, and I definitely
will be doing more in the future.
Teachers are with these students for a full academic year and during that time they
are molding them and helping them become a part of this society. Being a part of this
classroom gave me a new appreciation for all of our teachers and everything that they
do. The majority of teachers are underpaid when they have one of the most important
jobs out there. They are in charge of all the kids and their educational futures.
Everyone wouldn’t be where they are in their careers if it weren’t for their teachers.
As a society we need to make sure that teachers have all they need to give our kids
what they need in order to succeed. Teachers need to be our top priority, but right
now they aren’t.
The Art of Scaffolding
Danajoy Wilk
Child Development 113: Child & Adolescent Growth & Development
Instructor: Penny Skemp
I love people of all ages, but two-year olds are to me the most fascinating human
beings. The fact that they begin to have agency and initiative and yet are still in
an emergent state of language acquisition in and of itself makes life inherently quite
frustrating. They work so hard to make meaning out of life, and I love the uniqueness
of their minds as they do so, how beautifully they come to a point of realization,
moving from disequilibrium to equilibrium. I love the laughter of a classroom of two
year olds. It’s like music. As an early childhood educator specializing in two-year
old classrooms in a state that does not have educational requirements for teaching
preschool-age children, I’ve missed that beauty and musical laughter so much. In taking
the classes needed for credentialing and in choosing this service learning project,
I knew that I would learn quite a bit, but I had no idea just how much I would learn
and how profound it would impact me personally.
Perhaps there is more to why I chose this age group to work with. We each go through
life as human beings, each of us navigating different developmental stages over the
course of our lives in our own complicated, human ways. Through infancy, childhood
and adolescence, we are reliant on our caregivers to provide so much and yet they,
too, are human with their own developmental stages to work through. Is it possible
that in providing care to children, in parenting, we seek to resolve that which was
less than optimal in our own lives? For me, I know this to be true. And as a teacher,
I have known my greatest challenge is the hypervigilance associated with wanting to
make everything hyper optimal for each child. Over the course of my teaching career,
I have found that that impulse can be counter-productive to creating a warm, calm,
and engaging classroom that supports learning for each individual in the classroom.
As a child, I struggled with perfectionism. As an adult and as a teacher, I still
struggle with perfectionism.As much as I think I’ve grown and evolved beyond the tendency
towards perfectionism (and its unfortunate sidekick, procrastination) I think I was,
in part, super excited to do service learning in the MiraCosta Child Development Center
because it felt like the perfect place to learn. It felt like child development heaven,
the best possible environment.
But what I couldn’t have anticipated is how much understanding Vygotsky’s learning
theory transforms the art of teaching for me, through this service learning project.
The classroom had this wonderful air of calm engagement. In part, that may have had
to do with the low teacher-student ratios. However, I think it had more to do with
the thoughtful and intentional incorporation of the best of all theories and educational
models we study, but especially that of Vygotsky. One example is that the teacher
finds the learner’s zone of proximal development, the skills, knowledge, and concepts
that the learner is close to acquiring but cannot yet master without help. The mentor
must avoid two opposite dangers: boredom and failure. Some frustration is permitted,
but the learner must be actively engaged, never passive and never overwhelmed.”
I could sense the impact of this informed and artful education through the engagement
of the children in the classroom. I could hear it in the phrasing of the teachers
in the classroom as they spoke to children as they played, explored, and problem-solved.
I was able to see that, as I wrote out the anecdotal records, there were so many different
ways that I could have scaffolded better the learning of a particular child I was
mentoring. And yet, I realized that I am also placing myself in a zone of proximal
development by taking these classes. As educators, there are limitless opportunities
to improve children’s circumstances so that they can experience optimal development.
Those techniques take time and education to master. Since education is a process that
involves mentoring, it just isn’t possible to have figured it out before you even
begin.
For me, this means continuing to take classes in early childhood education and identifying
mentors who will support me in learning these skills. In particular, this experiential
learning has shown me how very much I have to learn and practice in order to effectively
implement scaffolding. I am immensely grateful for the generosity of the teachers
in Room 2 and the administration of MiraCosta College’s Child Development Center for
supporting this experiential learning (in heaven.) Even more so, I am grateful for
the encouragement and enthusiastic support of Professor Skemp, sensing in her instruction
of this class that she holds us each in our own zone of proximal development.
Nutrition and a Mission
David Martinez
Nutrition 100: Nutrition Today
Instructor: Gail Meinhold
I was very pleased that I was able to do something in the community through the service
learning opportunities program made available to me MiraCosta College. I chose to
work with the North County Food Bank because I felt that the work would have some
overlap with the curriculum that I was learning in nutrition. After getting in touch
with the volunteer coordinator, Jeremiah Luster, I scheduled an orientation time where
I learned all of the ins and outs of the program. I was surprised and impressed with
the care that they took in making sure that we knew exactly what was expected of us
while we would be volunteering. I was pleased to find out that instead of just sorting
food, we would also be engaging with those who were shopping at the food bank, helping
them to fill up grocery carts that were not only nutritionally balanced, but also
fit the needs of their family.
I remember my first day, when a mom, and her daughter who could not have been more
than six years old, came into the food bank. It made me so happy to watch the little
girl get to run around the warehouse and pick out food, all while I got to direct
her into choosing healthier foods. It was really at that moment that I felt a connection
to the organization's purpose of providing opportunity to those who would not have
had it otherwise. Part of the reason why I enjoyed volunteering at the Food Bank so
much was because of the variety of day to day tasks. Generally, a food donation company
brings in a shipment of food at the beginning of the day. Then, the volunteers unload
the shipment and sort through it, making sure that everything is acceptable, such
as proper expiration dates and quality of the food. Almost every time I went in, there
was a new project to be done in addition to this routine. For example, one of the
projects that I was assigned involved renovating part of the warehouse. That day we
resurfaced shelves, swept floors, scrubbed storage containers and shelves, and organized
past shipments. Not only would we organize and clean the warehouse, but we would also
assist families and agencies that represented families shopping for food. Throughout
the day, we would escort families around the store, helping them select food based
on family size. The dietary guidelines that I learned in nutrition, such as what are
the different food groups, helped me to better perform this task as I was able to
choose healthier options.
Overall, the experience for me was very important because I got to experience firsthand
how a few hours out of your day can impact someone else's life in your community.
Even though many people are becoming more and more health conscious, as nutrition
education has greatly improved, the challenge of access to healthy foods is still
an issue that many people face. The growth of programs such as the North County Food
Bank could have a tremendously positive impact on our society by providing both nutritional
sustenance and healthier dietary education to those in need.
Dignity, Choices, & Routines
Gwen Williams
Gerontology 130: Caregiving Work w/ Frail Elderly
Instructor: Judith Philips
Volunteering at Seacrest Village Retirement Communities was delightful. My first visit
to the retirement community was an orientation presented by Mary Gulden, Director
of Life Enrichment, and Bailey Seibel, GRC Life Enrichment Lead. I was given a volunteer
handbook that was reviewed thoroughly followed by a tour of the community. The orientation
experience was professional, informative, and welcoming.
All of my volunteering at Seacrest Village was with the assisted living residents.
My first volunteering experience was an outing, to go shopping and then to lunch with
nine elderly Seacrest ladies. I quickly discovered that I was going to have to learn
to understand the different personalities of these elderly ladies. Most of them demonstrated
some level of dementia. I have not worked around nor had any exposure to dementia,
so it was a new experience. I noticed that the employees talked in direct sentences
and didn’t give many choices to these ladies with the higher level of dementia. I
realized that in order to get a solid response from these ladies they had to ask direct
questions. When we were all at the restaurant it was difficult for some of the ladies
to make a decision on what to order. The life enrichment lead gave the ladies with
the most difficult time deciding what to order two meal choices. When the ladies decided
which of the two meals they wanted, it was ordered. This was my only outing experience,
with all the rest of my volunteer service taking place at the Seacrest Village facility
calling Bingo and being a helper with art therapy.
Activities for the residents are very important to keep them active and result in
social interactions, which ultimately enhances their quality of life. Seacrest Village
does a great job providing activities for the assisted living residents. I found that
Seacrest Village followed a routine of activities for its assisted living residents;
all the activities were held in the same room and on the same floor where their apartments
were located. The same activity was held at the same time, on the same day during
each week. Having a routine helps all the residents know what is going on in their
community and where they can find the activity. I did notice that once in a while
there would be some confusion when I would show up to help with Thursday’s art therapy.
The residents that didn’t attend art therapy, but always played Bingo, would think
I was there for Bingo. So I would have to explain to them that I was there for art
therapy, and they were welcome to join us, but Bingo would be the next day.
Art therapy was a small group. The same ladies came and there wasn’t much talking
between them as they colored. My observations were the majority of the ladies that
came to art therapy showed varied signs of mild dementia. Watching them was interesting;
some of them had a very hard time concentrating on what the picture was or what color(s)
to use. Some would only use two colors for the whole picture and others would use
many colors. It was easy for some of them to color within the lines of the picture,
and others couldn’t stay within the lines at all. Most of them made comments that
they aren’t artist and their pictures were ugly. The art instructor and I always encouraged
and complimented them on their lovely coloring. This always made them smile, and they
would eventually agree that they did a good job.
I found that they all enjoyed art therapy, some stated they did, while others’ nonverbal
behavior showed they enjoyed it. Art therapy is relaxing for them as it gives them
a sense of accomplishment both when they finished their art piece and again when they
were complimented for making a lovely piece of art. They especially loved it when
their art was posted on the art board in the activity room.
Bingo is a fun and interactive activity for the residents. It offers social interaction
along with cognitive stimulation. I had a nice group of regular players. Besides getting
opportunities to talk one-on-one with the residents, before and after Bingo, it was
my favorite activity. It gave me time to interact with the players and learn more
about them. I was able to greet them by their name, welcome them to the activity,
and offer a positive, fun experience. I believe I was able to add joy to their day
by providing a positive and fun activity.
This service project provided a learning experience that reinforced the studies of
Gerontology 130, on caregiving techniques for working with the frail elderly. I observed
personalities with dementia, elderly with hearing loss, vision loss, and ambulatory
issues. The studies from Gerontology 130 covers all of these situations and many more.
I was able to practice many of the suggested techniques, as outlined in “Communicating
with Older Adults, An Evidence Based Review of What Really Works; Developed by the
Gerontological Society of America.” The information from the published study helped
me with communicating and understanding what the residents’ needs were; as well as
the importance of active listening skills. “Eldercare 911,” the course successfully,
described how important activities are for the elderly to maintain their quality of
life. Learning about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the many other necessary
issues of a caregiver must know about the aging process, is essential to me. My goal
is to be the best employable caregiver for the elderly.
I am thankful and pleased that I had the opportunity to interact with the staff and
residents at Seacrest Village Retirement Communities. It was a positive experience.
I highly recommend that future students take the opportunity to volunteer and make
a positive contribution to our communities.
A College Food Pantry
Irina Manzhugo
Nutrition 100: Nutrition Today
Instructor: Gail Meinhold
Hunger affects millions of people in the United States, from youth to seniors, which
makes it a problem that needs a lot of attention, work and time. Creation of the food
pantry at MiraCosta College was a brilliant idea to help our needy students, our fellow
classmates, solve the issue of hunger. The food pantry provides free lunches and a
bag of groceries for a week for students who can’t afford healthy and nutritious food
during their study hours. Generally lunch consists of a can of vegetables, soup or
legumes, and a protein bar or briquette of fruits. These lunches provide the keys
of the most important components for a healthy diet such as protein, fiber, vitamins,
minerals, unsaturated fats, carbohydrates and calcium. Also, the representatives of
the Service Learning Office and the food pantry give information to students about
where they can get permanent support with food supplies from different organizations.
As a student in a nutrition class, I was more than happy to be given the opportunity
to work in the food pantry with Carol Wilkinson for the goal of helping the MiraCosta
community by using knowledge gained from nutrition class in my service learning project.
I volunteered as a food assistant with the food pantry at MiraCosta campus once a
week, usually Thursdays or Fridays. Before the end of October I was working downstairs
where the food storage is located. There I would check the cans for their food expiration
dates and put them in the order from farthest to closest expirations dates. At the
end of October the food drive started which was called “Scare Hunger Away”. This event
gives an opportunity to all students, staff and faculty on the MiraCosta campus to
donate to the food pantry. Halloween donation boxes were placed around the campus,
where people could leave their canned food donations. During this time I was checking
on the boxes because if somebody left a donation in the box I needed to take it to
the office. In the office I was checking expiration dates and which cans were acceptable,
I then took them downstairs to the storage room. It is really important to check expiration
dates because the food pantry needs to provide healthy, not expired food to MiraCosta
college students.
Before the food drive, Carol Wilkinson asked me to make a list of the healthiest canned
foods of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and soup because some donors were interested
in knowing which types of canned foods would be the best to donate to the food pantry.
Through this task I was able to connect knowledge from my nutrition class about finding
credible sources of nutritional information and using it in real life. So, I made
a list of the healthiest canned food which was based on my research on the internet
websites with reliable information.
For the Nutrition 100 class, this service learning assignment was valuable and gave
me a lot of rewarding experiences. I learned information about hunger and how this
problem is important, about nutrients which are provided in canned foods, about expiration
dates and recognition of websites with reliable information. Now I can use this valuable
experience in my future because it is really important to understand and realize what
kind of food we consume based on GMO injections which helps keep food longer and taste
better.
If students are hungry they have a hard time sitting in classrooms and studying. The
service learning food pantry provides our students with the ability to help alleviate
this problem. It was a good learning experience and it was fun to work with Carol
Wilkinson and help her to make the world a little bit better at MiraCosta College.
Apples, Bananas, & Carrots
Jaime Park
Nutrition 100: Nutrition Today
Instructor: Gail Meinhold
“Three to five” and “sixty” were the numbers I found myself cheering for, with four
different classes of 4th graders. Three to five cups of fruits and vegetables and
at least sixty minutes of exercise per day.
I have always been passionate about nutrition and the well-being of children, especially
in today’s society with an epidemic of childhood obesity. I’m a huge advocate for
healthy choices and healthy families. Since my move back to California from North
Carolina, I have been searching to find a place that suited my passions, a place where
I could volunteer. I jumped at the opportunity when my professor told us about our
school’s service learning program, and when I found out about the wonderful things
the Vista Unified School District was doing for their children, I knew right away
that I wanted to be a part of it.
I was able to take part in one elementary school’s first farmer’s markets. It was
led by an amazing organization that would bring in farm fresh fruits and vegetables
to the school. At the market, the kids covered a variety of topics; the different
produce and why it was good for them; food safety; about the farms the produce came
from; the current drought and how it is affecting us; things we could do to help;
and also simple math! Each of the kids was given $2 of play money and got to shop
for the different things they wanted to try and bring it home to their families. It
was so wonderful seeing the smiles on their faces and just how excited they got, because
they had the power to choose what they wanted to try and experience the sheer excitement
of making healthier choices! I loved being a part of that.
I also got to volunteer at the VUSD fair and be a part of the Wave Crest Cafe. There
we made up cards with different fruits and vegetables. The children would choose their
favorite fruits or vegetables, and we would then show their choices at all of the
different schools, using that to advertise what was currently being offered at their
salad bars! The kids would get to see their own artwork when they went to lunch. They
loved it and it was great getting them involved.
The majority of my time was spent in the classroom. I was fortunate enough to be assigned
to the 4th graders of Olive Elementary in Vista. I got to teach nutrition to 4 different
classes. They were so excited to have me come in and play games and hear about what
new things they got to try and what new activities they did that they never tried
before. The classroom participation was astonishing. With every lesson I would come
in and ask about how many cups of fruits and vegetables they should have and how much
exercise they should get a day. By the end they knew it like the back of their little
hands! We would go over the different vitamins the different fruits contained and
what they did for our bodies. At the very end we were able to do a taste test of a
few different fruits and veggies and they got to “rate the taste” to see what they
liked and didn't like. If they didn't like something we got to discuss different,
yummy ways they could prepare it so they could look forward to trying it again! It
was a great learning experience for them and a great learning experience for me. This
service learning helped me realize that this is something (even though my hours are
complete with the school), I will happily continue doing in my free time.
Preserve to Sustain San Elijo & Batiquitos Lagoon
Lena McMaster
Oceanography 101: Introduction to Oceanography
Instructor: Matthew Taylor
I volunteered at both the Batiquitos Lagoon and Ford Wildlife Habitat Preserve that
is a part of the San Elijo Lagoon. I really enjoyed volunteering and I plan on volunteering
more in the future, specifically at the restoration event on December 20. I feel that
I made a difference at both community organizations, because I contributed to preserving
the natural habitats that allow the lagoons to sustain and provide food for the various
natural species of wildlife. The tasks that I performed included constructing plant
protector cages and planting native trees at the Ford Wildlife Habitat Preserve. The
area had been previously infested by eucalyptus introduced to the area during the
time that railroads were built (eucalyptus trees are used to make railroad ties).
The planted native species were trees such as: cottonwood, arroyo willow, and blue
elderberry, trees which all belong to the riparian vegetation zone. The cottonwood
provided native people with wood to make shelters and the coastal live oak trees provided
acorns as a source of food. The elderberry trees offered fruit for various songbirds.
On another occasion we made seed balls with 100ml of water, 1200ml of dirt and sand,
and 300ml of seeds. We were instructed to make balls equivalent to the diameter of
a quarter. After we used all the supplies we had made 1,619 seed balls in total. It
was fun getting dirty and feeling the raw earth in my hands. The seed balls included
narrow leaf milkweed, saltgrass, California blackberry, and desert wild grape seeds.
The last day I attended I removed invasive plants that were degrading the quality
of life of various natural plant species and re-established barriers around plants
that would allow water to absorb into its roots.
The constant challenges that both the organizations encounter are maintaining natural
plant species that provide shelter and food sources and securing enough funds from
the community, organizations, and government agencies to continue serving the public.
The success of replacing native species and removing invasive species is dependent
upon the services that volunteers and staff provide. The most interesting aspect of
volunteering was learning about the habitat of our native coastal estuaries and their
various species. It was really neat being involved in restoration of the native habitat,
because we are contributing to the success of the lagoons to flourish. A couple of
the most challenging moments that I encountered was constructing cages out of metal
fencing and also collecting large amounts of water from the creek to water the plants
that we planted. Carrying those large water jugs at times seemed almost impossible.
I had no idea that I would be exerting so much energy. On one occasion at the Ford
Wildlife Habitat Preserve, I didn’t think that I needed my own personal water bottle,
and I became so dehydrated that by the end of the four hour period I felt sick. But,
regardless I continued and worked as hard as I could.
The best part of all was the great team work that we achieved. It felt so amazing
to work as a group in such a positive way. It was very rewarding knowing that I participated
in helping such a beautiful segment of our environment. I realized that there are
people who care about the wildlife that gives so much to us. It is touching to know
that there are such kind and giving people in the world. By volunteering I learned
a wealth of information about the many issues that preserves encounter, especially
littering.
It was interesting actually visiting estuaries after learning about coastal shores
and estuaries. It has always amazed me that all the fresh water sources in North County
San Diego eventually end up in the coastal lagoons. The fresh water then mixes with
salt water from the ocean. These environments are very productive, and learning that
they create more organic matter than forests of the same size is remarkable. After
briefly learning about estuaries, it was neat to see the different habitat types such
as shallow open waters, fresh water and salt marshes, swamps, sandy beaches, mud and
sand flats, and various types of sea grasses. There are several species of birds,
mammals, and other types of wildlife that live, feed, and reproduce in its habitats.
I also discovered that estuaries are referred to as “nurseries of the sea.”
In class I learned that estuaries are very important in filtering pollutants. The
sediments are filtered out through swamps and salt marshes and create cleaner water
that benefit communities of both people and marine life. They also absorb flood waters
and protect upland habitats from extensive flood damage. The water is very dense in
nutrients that largely contributes to its high biological productivity. By visiting
the lagoons I learned that there are 700 species of plants and animals. Many of these
species are rare and endangered. I was told by the staff that bald eagles are occasionally
spotted in the sky around the lagoons.
Overall, I am so glad that I did the extra credit assignment that led me to volunteering
at both the San Elijo Lagoon and the Batiquitos Lagoon. I had such a great time and
it truly was a life changing experience. I have always been interested in native water
shed habitats around Southern California because I have spent so much time hiking
on trails along native creeks, lakes, and rivers. I have also taken an environmental
biology class and am interested in habitat conservation. While getting to know the
group members, I talked to interns who shared their stories. I asked them what their
educational backgrounds were and what led them to their intern positions. I have always
considered pursuing a job in environmental biology. But, only the future will tell
what I finally decide to pursue in the path that hopefully leads to my lifetime career.
Impactful Circumstances
Luna Yager
Sociology 101: Introduction to Sociology
Instructor: Karen Baum
Over the past semester, I have been volunteering at Rancho Buena Vista High School
and observing tenth and twelfth grade honors English students in Suzie Owen’s classroom.
Observing the students over the past three months has caused me to ponder over how
young people mature and what influences them on a daily basis.
It was easy to see that although the seniors were only two grade levels above the
sophomores, the two groups differed greatly in maturity. The group of fifteen year
olds, although bright, demonstrated immense insecurities when it came to applying
their knowledge. Most of the students within the class seized any opportunity to avoid
school work, often acting silly or purposefully straying from the in class topic or
assignment. When forced to present to the class on specific chapters of Pride and
Prejudice by Jane Austin, the students seemed afraid to demonstrate their intelligence
to their peers. The students feel judged by their peers and seek always to maintain
a balance between acting too smart or acting too foolish.
In a survey that I developed (using borrowed material from Karen Baum’s General Sociological
Survey), I asked the students, “In high school, people care too much about what other
people think.” Out of twenty-nine students, twenty-five agreed with the statement.
The students realize that their peers are judging them, and they behave accordingly.
They act silly together, confused together, and they sympathize with one another.
I noticed when Mrs. Owen spoke to the class, oft-times the students whispered to each
other and ignored her, and occasionally they talked over her. However, when a peer
presented to the class, all the students hushed, realizing their turns would come
shortly thereafter.
The relationship between Mrs. Owen and the seniors, as well as the seniors with each
other, is very different from the sophomores. The seniors, approaching college, have
embraced the responsibility they have to their own education, and generally they demonstrate
a desire to prove themselves intellectually to their teacher and to their peers. During
my visits to the classroom, the students read Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
and The Stranger by Albert Camus. They participated with much greater enthusiasm in
book discussions with Mrs. Owen, and they conversed with each other with equal excitement.
The differences between these two groups helped me to realize how much other people
influence the way we think of ourselves and how we behave. The tenth graders still
feel and act like children, not realizing how close they are to life outside of high
school. They worry about making mistakes in front of their peers or being perceived
as, “know-it-alls,” if they answer questions in class or participate in class discussions.
This fear influences them to participate less, direct questions only at their teacher,
and engage in off-topic discussions with classmates during activities.
The twelfth graders, on the other hand, are beginning to feel their proximity to their
future lives and are accruing knowledge to prepare themselves. They respect Mrs. Owen’s
authority and in turn, she rewards them with more autonomy. They purposefully involve
each other in stimulating discussions, practicing for college life and for the work
force.
The lasting impression that this service learning experience has had on me, is the
importance of understanding the impact our circumstances have on us. Although some
of the differences in maturity between the tenth and twelfth graders is purely determined
by age, a portion of it is also the influence of peer pressure. If one student was
surrounded by thirty-five students who didn’t care about school, didn’t want an education,
and had no interest in making better lives for themselves, perhaps the one student
would lose interest in his or her personal goals as well. Young people are unsure
of themselves in almost every situation. They feel insecure and unprepared, constantly
striving for the approval of their families and friends. Their growth into mature
respectable, young adults is heavily influenced by the condition of their environment.
Learning on the Line
Paloma Marquez
Nutrition 100: Nutrition Today
Instructor: Gail Meinhold
Volunteering at Brother Benno’s was something that had interested me since last semester.
When I was told that this was an option for service learning, I quickly called Brother
Benno’s. This assignment was appealing to me because helping those in need is something
that I have always enjoyed, and other classmates who had volunteered there talked
about how much they had learned from the experience they had there. Obviously, because
I was doing it for my nutrition class, nutrition had to be front and center in my
volunteering services.
First, I contacted Denise the volunteer coordinator at Bother Benno’s. It took her
a while to get back to me so I had to call back to make sure she received my phone
call. Then, she told me to show up at 6:00 a.m. on a Friday to fill out some paper
work, and I started to volunteer that day. We talked about incorporating nutrition
into volunteering so in comparison to most of the volunteers who are there for the
social aspect, I had the chance to help on the serving line, be the coffee girl, and
bake healthy cookies for them towards the end.
I was asked to serve food in the service line. The service line consists of different
stations with different kinds of food such as sandwiches, juice, fruits salad, dairy
products, etc. Their orange ticket entitled them to a meal of the day plus milk and
yogurt to go. They could take home one egg carton per ticket and could get a lunch
which had a sandwich, juice, some type of fruit and vegetable, and lastly, eggs, mashed
potatoes, gravy, and bread at the end. Then they would get an orange tray where their
meal of the day could which gave them the option of getting some fruit salad, some
type of dairy product; in addiotion they could get both milk and yogurt to go. Then
they could get one egg carton per person with two to three prepackaged foods plus
a pastry. On Saturday, the same type of food was given out except they had spaghetti
for lunch instead of eggs. People were allowed to go through the line 2-3 times each
morning.
During my time volunteering at the food serving line, I observed people’s eating choices.
I came to notice that most of them did not like fruits or vegetables and always found
a way around them but loved pastries and always wanted to take more. When I served
on the food line, people would often ask me if the food was high in protein or to
give them high protein foods. Women usually asked for salads and a lot of packaged
fruits and vegetables, and I often heard them say they needed to be careful choosing
what they eat. If I wasn’t serving food I was giving coffee to people, and they consumed
vast amounts of coffee on a daily basis. People even brought in their own cups that
were bigger than the ones given so they could put more coffee in.
On my last day volunteering, I brought in 150 oatmeal cookies that I baked myself.
They were healthy oatmeal cookies with whole wheat flour, oatmeal, and some had raisins.
Going in to volunteer that day I honestly thought that many people would not want
cookies, but to my surprise everyone did. As I offered the cookies people would look
at the cookie for a while but decided to take one anyway. Some people even whispered
that they were healthy but good, which made me laugh. Men, women, and kids liked them,
and they were a success. I ran out of cookies in thirty minutes or so.
Overall, volunteering at Brother Benno’s was a great experience. I learned a lot regarding
individuals’ nutritional choices and met great people. I learned choices are very
important, especially when a load of food is placed right in front of you. The right
or wrong choices are instilled in a person at a very young age, because I noticed
that a lot of people at Brother Benno’s don’t opt for the healthier options even though
they are right in front of them. However, a lot of this is due to the fact that many
of them are homeless or very poor, and all they want is food in their system. I have
learned how important it is to make the right food choices to better your health after
observing some people making unhealthy choices.
What Happens When You Don't Wake Up from a Nightmare?
Raquel Alto
English 100: Composition & Rading
Instructor: John Kirwan
Do not be afraid of sudden terror nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes. For
the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. For years
I repeated this verse to myself in the dead of night as shivers ran down my spine
and goose bumps covered every inch of my body. On the nights I would be awakened by
terrible nightmares I would cover my body head to toe with my blanket leaving enough
room to stick my nose through a hole and breathe. I always found comfort in the fact
that morning would break and the sun would rise emitting a soft warmth to erase my
fears. For me they were simply nightmares, bad dreams that would never matter but
for others bad dreams and nightmares don't come in the night, they come at any time
of day. *
Daylight makes no difference though for the women who gather around a pile of toys
in the play room of the agency Las Valientes. This local non-profit organization assists
Hispanic women with issues associated with domestic violence. Before I stepped foot
in the agency, I had never taken time to properly inform myself about domestic violence
and the affect it has on marriages, but as I built friendships with the women who
attended Las Valientes weekly support meetings, my heart grew and I found it significantly
harder to leave after every meeting.
Thursdays nights became special, magical even, where age, culture, and beliefs did
not exist. Four light brown walls shielded and separated us from a world that held
cruel obstacles and scary confrontations. At first glance, it was not your typical
playroom. Chairs in a deep shade of blue were lined up in a circle which gave a serious
air to the room making the toys that were piled up in a comer seem out of place. No
children were in sight and the youngest people in the group were older teens, but
on the fourth night Blanca and her three children walked in. The youngest ran the
show from the moment she walked in. I like to call her Dora, with her black shiny
hair sitting above her shoulders and her bangs covering the tips of her long eyelashes.
Her stubby legs carried her from toy to toy as we played in the waiting room, and
her tiny hands grabbed lego after lego. As I watched her skim her fingers across every
toy available I could overhear her mom telling the story that brought little Dora
into my life. The mom had been wrongfully imprisoned on two different occasions, held
in a prison that also housed murderers. She had fled the iron grip of her husband
only to return a few months later and then leave once and for all only weeks before
we met her. Typically women begin to feel lonely and lost a few weeks after leaving
abusive relationships and return to their abusers because they fear being alone, but
Blanca had realized her kids deserved better, that they needed a safer environment
to thrive in, and that’s why she came to Las Valientes. As she told her story and
I played with the kids in the other room, tears streamed down her cheeks and her voice
broke after every few words. Anger and frustration seeped out of her, and the women
who knew exactly what she was going through did their very best to fill her void with
love and compassion.
In that playroom every woman was perfectly imperfect and loved beyond words. Lifelong
friendships developed within seconds upon greeting one another, and years of repressed
emotions oozed out of every woman's pores. My main concern, at the start of my service
learning, was the lack of resources available to immigrants in our community, but
as I hugged the women who walked through the door I realized one of the most crucial
resources they lacked was friendship. Attending these meetings introduced me to a
world where friendship is nonexistent, where husbands threaten and abuse their wives
however their mood dictates, including restricting contact with family, friends, and
even sons and daughters.
To me daylight was my friend, the bible verse was my friend, and together they guided
me out of my nightmares, but the women at these meetings had no friend to guide them
out of their nightmares. In fact they lived day to day walking in their nightmares
many of them eagerly awaiting the morning, some already beginning to soak up some
sun. What holds them together now are the friendships that they have built amongst
each other.
Las Valientes is not just an agency but a home that treasures and values friendship,
a sort of promised land that welcomes one and all to enjoy the sweet fruit it has
to offer while also “breaking the chains of violence”.
Who would have thought Nutrition Class Would be Life Altering?
Valerie Hawley
Nutrition 100: Nutrition Today
Instructor: Gail Meinhold
I chose to do my service learning extra credit work at the Vista Unified School District
Child Nutrition Department. I chose this department because a friend and coworker
works in the free and reduced lunch department. She loves her job, so I thought it
would be perfect to learn all about it, and get a foot in the door. I love broadening
my horizons!! When I chose this work site I assumed I would be working at the nutrition
department site simply processing paperwork and learning how the school lunch program
operates. Boy, was I surprised at where I ended up and what I ended up doing...it
was life altering.
I emailed Amy Haelssly the registered dietician and nutrition education & training
supervisor with the school lunch program. She was wonderful and promptly responded
to my email. We met and got the paperwork going to set up for the service learning
registration. I was able to fill out the background check paper needed to work at
the schools and was approved right away. Amy called me when the approval for me working
with the school was cleared, and that’s when she told me I would be teaching nutrition
to 4th graders at an elementary school. I was scared to death but quickly accepted
the invitation. She gave me the work books we would be going over so that I could
prepare and get a feel for what I would be doing. I taught them nutrition using the
‘Power Play’ workbooks designed for 4th grade students. My work site was at Maryland
Elementary School and I would be teaching along with three teachers twice a week.
I was terrified as the start date approached but once I began, I was quickly calmed
and reassured by the children that I was doing great. They were wonderful to teach
and so willing to learn and even try new things. The teachers were all very supportive,
helpful, and reassuring, and I appreciated my opportunity working with them. I had
never taught a day in my life, and it was so awesome to hear one teacher tell me how
good at it I was and to learn that teaching is a daily learning experience.
I learned a lot about myself and my genuine joy of teaching kids. I learned that kids
really do want to learn and are eager and interested in learning about food and the
benefits of nutrition for the body. They were so enthusiastic when we did the activities
and were so willing to eat healthier alternatives and dump the junk! It was shocking
and reassuring to see that out of three classes of kids, only one kid wouldn’t try
the food when we did the “rate the taste” activity. I made sure to let the kids know
how proud of them I was for their willingness to open their minds about trying new
food. I explained that they would never really know for sure if they liked or didn’t
like something if they didn’t try it.
I was happy to hear that, for the most part, the kids are all pretty active. They
learned that it’s important to “keep moving” and that exercise is vital to your body
and wellness. It’s important to burn the calories you eat. I am sad to hear that the
schools don’t really have a physical education class anymore and it’s a shame because
being active is a vital part of life and should be included in school.
This experience was majorly life changing. I have decided to change majors from Sociology
to Nutrition. I want to teach kids about nutrition because I believe that the younger
they are taught the better chance they have at believing and using the knowledge.
You can’t always teach old dogs new tricks. I have tried talking to older people about
the things I learned in nutrition class and most don’t want to hear it. I hear, “You
only live once” too many times. I think kids are more open-minded and eager to learn.
I have become more and more passionate about nutrition and how food really is medicine.
I want to end this saying that the service learning experience was the best and greatest
opportunity one could get. I appreciate MiraCosta for offering it and I pray it is
always there for future students to experience. I would never have known that I enjoyed
teaching as much as I did if I didn’t get this opportunity. Thank you!
A Lesson by the Sea
Van Nguyen
Nursing 160: Certified Nursing Assistant
Instructor: Mary Wright
I have had a great experience with the Carlsbad by the Sea retirement home for the
past week. It is a private, not-for-profit, licensed continuing care retirement community
which focuses on serving seniors age fifty and over as individuals and families. The
community is divided into three main categories: independent living, assisted living,
and skilled nursing living.
As a volunteer at the skilled nursing living, I received orientation which covered
a clear and specific job description and appropriate assignments according to skills,
training, and interests that I’m currently required to have as a CNA. I was helping
in the activity department, assisting with the transfer of residents from the activity
room to the dining room or to go outside by the beach area. I also volunteered to
help pass out food and drinks during the residents’ activities and communicate with
them.
I learned a lot from the service learning experience; how to perform a safety transferring
residents in a wheelchair; consideration for their physical disabilities; how important
it is to fulfill their emotional needs in addition to their physical comfort (i.e.
quality of life); and how to cooperate fully with management and staff plus maintain
a good team attitude.
What I liked the most from this experience is how the residents and the staff here
treat each other with dignity and respect. Everyone here always greets others with
a sweet smile and treat each other in a very friendly and nice manner. The employees
are professional and passionate about their jobs which they demonstrate by how they
treat the residents and also the residents’ families.
Independence
Angel Ibarra
English 100: Composition & Reading
Instructor: Whittinghill
Budgeting, education, and economic development are all examples of multiple challenges
that cities have to overcome on a yearly basis. In 2003, the city of Vista was facing
a rise of homelessness when focusing on families out on the streets. With the support
of neighboring cities and local churches, Vista community members were able to address
this issue by establishing a shelter known as Operation Homeless Outreach Providing
Encouragement (HOPE) with the intent of providing a safe haven for homeless families,
and single women, and equip them with the proper resources to become independent.
I dedicated two weeks of volunteering for this organization and have learned how successful
it has come to be over the years, and the powerful impact that it has on the families.
Ultimately, the staff of Operation HOPE-Vista do a phenomenal job utilizing the resources
provided to them in order to supply families with the essential services. The shelter
and resources will further assist the City of Vista with countering the rise in homelessness
that its community faces.
By having a solid foundation Operation HOPE-Vista was finally able to fully implement
its guidelines and values to the shelter. The main objective for Operation HOPE-Vista
is to help homeless families with young children, specifically single mothers. In
order to accomplish this goal, the shelter has a recovery program that consist of
allowing families to live in the shelter for over sixty days, and during this time
period the shelter offers workshops to the mothers which will teach them important
skills that will assist them in finding jobs and improve other aspects of their lives.
For example, the shelter will coordinate with outside sources that will come to shelter
and deliver classes to the mothers that will teach them how to write a resume, how
to dress and interact in an interview, how to repair their credit, financial management,
and many more important skills that are required in the job field. To further push
the envelope, the shelter will contact local business such as Goodwill and set job
interviews for the mothers to increase their chances of obtaining a job (Tom). Not
only do the mothers receive lessons on job searching, but also in medical care. Staff
members from the Vista Community Clinic will come once a week to shelter and perform
check-ups on the children and mothers, followed by giving any medical advice that
families may need as well as teaching lesson on proper eating habits and nutrition.
Furthermore, tutoring is held every day of the week for the kids in order to help
them with any issues that they may be facing with homework. All of these services
and many others that Operation HOPE-Vista has to offer have a significant impact on
the lives of the families that will help them get back to their normal lives, which
will not only accomplish the goals of Operation HOPE-Vista but as well as the families'.
Overall, the organization is thoroughly executing the City of Vista’s agenda when
it comes to alleviating the rise of homelessness in its community.
Due to the success that the shelter has had throughout the years many families apply
to the shelter’s program, but only a certain amount of people are admitted due to
limited amount of space that the shelter has. But, before families can be admitted
to the shelter’s program they need to meet certain requirements that consist of being
drug free before entering which is followed by taking mandatory drug tests, and lastly
having a feasible plan along with a positive attitude for the future when it comes
to overcoming their current situation (Tom). The shelter also focuses on the reasons
why and how these families became homeless, whether or not there were any foul play
involved, such as substance or physical abuse, because this can then possibly place
other people that are in the shelter in harm’s way. Most of the times the reason why
families are homeless is due to job loss, bills piling up, and being unable to pay
rent, which forces them onto the streets. With this being said, the shelter acknowledges
these issues that families have had in the past and are able to create individual
case management plans for each family to move forward with regaining their independence.
Through my time of volunteering I was able to witness the gradual impact that the
shelter has on the families. The first day that I went to the shelter was on a late
afternoon on the opening day for the shelter’s winter season. When I arrived I was
directed to the common room where all of the families were gathered around to eat
dinner. The adults were quiet and reserved since it was their first time eating with
one another and it takes time to get comfortable with meeting new faces. But, on the
other hand the kids were loud, energetic, and more willing to interact with one another.
After dinner was over the parents went off to a classroom to attend a workshop, which
left me with the responsibility of taking care of children and running activities
to keep them entertained. Initially this was completely manageable since I only had
to take care of three kids who were well behaved, but things became hectic when a
group of four young brothers arrived late to the shelter. My situation immediately
turned to a whirlwind of laughter, cries, and yelling that came from the seven kids.
Each kid wanted to do a different activity such as reading, playing with blocks, or
playing tag. At first it was a bit difficult to make everyone happy, but luckily reinforcements
came to my aid when another volunteer arrived to the scene with face paint. As a result,
both my partner and I were successful at taking care of the kids. Once the workshop
was over, the parents returned to the common room in order to get their children ready
for bed and end the day. With the first day of volunteering being completed it gave
an idea of the routine that I was going to encounter in the upcoming days.
By the third day of volunteering I was getting better at taking care of the kids and
talking to the parents. I would eat dinner with the families and get well acquainted
with them on a personal level, which was a great feeling because the parents would
let me know that they are happy and comfortable with me watching over their kids.
With the approval of the parents I had gained the confidence to take care of the kids,
which helped me tremendously on my last day of volunteering since there were more
families that were admitted to shelter, and that meant that I would be taking care
of more kids. I became responsible for a total of twelve kids that were between the
ages of four through eleven. I was well prepared to take care of them this time around
since I planned out which games to run such as freeze tag, red-light green-light,
Simon says, and many more. It was fun seeing them getting along with one another,
to fight and cry, and how they were building somewhat of a family bond with each other.
It genuinely made me happy whenever they would smile and laugh from playing these
games, and telling them cheesy jokes because despite the fact that these kids are
fully aware of their difficult situation, they are not letting it get the best of
them; the children are resilient and intelligent. From spending all of this time with
the kids I had grown attached to them, thus it was extremely difficult to say goodbye
on my last day of volunteering.
Through my experience with Operation HOPE-Vista I have learned how a shelter comes
to be, how it is run, and most important, the effects that it has on the families.
It provides families with more than a second chance in life, it gives them the opportunity
to learn and prosper from their difficult circumstances. It’s also a safe haven for
children who are innocently faced with the hardships of life. From this, I’ve become
more passionate when it comes to helping people with any type of ordeal big or small,
especially knowing that a small gesture can have a tremendous result in someone’s
life.
Overall, Operation HOPE-Vista is a phenomenal organization that is assisting the city
of Vista in countering the rise of homeless families and offering families a stable
support system. It is an organization that deserves more recognition and support from
its community members.
Works Cited
“About Us.” Operation Hope. 2015. Web. 15 November 2015.
Tom. Personal Interview. 11 November 2015
Back to School
Brenda J Lopez
Professor Whittinghill
English 100: Composition & Reading
The organization that I volunteer for is a one-of-a-kind comprehensive and holistic
healthcare program that includes reconstructive surgeries, laser clinics, a speech
therapy clinic, and dental clinics called Fresh Start Surgical Gifts. They provide
free surgery to about 7,000 children with physical deformities (Howwework).
The goals of this organization is to help children with physical deformities and to
help them live a better life because most children with physical deformities are unfortunately
bullied by other children and that can cause them to suffer from depression. They
meet their goals by helping over 400 children a year, and providing the children that
they help with speech therapy. Fresh Start hosts six to seven Surgery Weekends each
year where experts in reconstructive surgery donate their time and talents to transform
the lives of over 400 children annually. Last year Fresh Start’s Surgery Weekend program
provided 1,473 medical treatments to 379 patients.
They provide families with different kinds of services such as speech therapy, which
allows the children that are being afflicted with craniofacial disorders, such as
cleft lip and palate, to regain their ability to speak audibly and correctly. Approximately
30 patients each year receive speech therapy services which grant confidence and motivation
to accomplish their goals. Another service that they have is the laser clinics that
treat approximately 84 infants, children and teens each year who suffer from deformities
such as port wine stain and bums. Laser treatments work by reducing the appearance
of scars created by reconstructive surgery. They also provide with transportation
and lodging Fresh Start Surgical Gifts provide all medical treatments in San Diego,
CA either at the Fresh Start clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital or at the office of
a volunteer dentist or other medical professionals. They can arrange for transportation,
lodging and meals for patients from outside of San Diego. Also, they bring the patients
to San Diego in order to ensure sanitary operation rooms, easily available and high
quality equipment, and to have the resources to bring in a specialist for especially
complex or rare conditions. The majority of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts’ patients participate
in almost all of the medical services that they offer since deformities affect multiple
aspects of every patient.
I am so satisfied with Fresh Start Surgical Gifts and I am glad that I volunteer for
their program. The experience that I got was beyond wonderful, I always wanted to
become a nurse and I am willing to fulfill that need that I have about helping others
by achieving my goal of becoming a nurse one day. I’ve always had an interest in criminal
investigation that is why I wanted to become a forensic nurse, but I have always loved
children and how grateful they are. Before this experience I was sure I wanted to
become a forensic nurse, but thanks to the amazing experience I realized my heart
is in pediatrics. The first day I got to Rady’s Children’s hospital, I did not know
what to expect I knew I was going in for interpreter, so I had in mind I was going
to be able to have fully interaction with the patients and the patient's parents.
The staff working for Fresh Start were so nice to me and made me feel really comfortable
with asking any questions. The first day I volunteered was on November 5th, 2015 and
I worked with Katherine Seedwey, she has a Doctorate in Nursing and she works as a
Pediatric Nurse and she is also a professor at San Diego State University. It was
a pleasure working with her, she answered all my questions she had this amazing vibe
that she transmitted to the children making them feel comfortable. Even though she
didn’t know how to speak Spanish she was really good at communicating with them through
playing and also smiling a lot. I was really happy that I got to meet such a wonderful
person I was translating for her everything the parents were saying in Spanish and
I was doing the same with the parents translating her questions to them and to the
children. I realized how hard it may have been for a parent to have to sit and trust
a stranger, that stranger being me to translate everything to them. I could only imagine
the frustration they may of had at the moment, but thankfully I was able to speak
to them and let them know that I was there for them and that I was going to translate
everything as accurately as I could. The first patient that got to the room was a
boy, he was really cute. He suffered of Microtia (deformity of the ear). The strength
of the parent was amazing and it transmitted to the child, at first I thought that
it was only going to be that particular boy that was so strong. To my surprise every
child that walked into the room was so brave and happy and I was amazed by every single
one of them. I got to meet six children, the oldest of the children that I got to
meet was a girl that was twelve years old and the youngest was eighteen months.
The story that shocked me the most was from the twelve year old girl, who was tragically
burned when she was only 14 months. The skin on her neck was attached to the skin
of the chest, which made it really painful for her to raise her head. The parent,
when asked if she had ever been taken to the hospital, answered “no”. That answer
was really shocking to me because I was not expecting that at all, I thought that
with a burn like that, she would of had to obviously be taken to the hospital and
get some treatment in the affected area. But she did not, also when the doctor asked
me to ask the parent if she had any procedures done in the neck he also answer “no”.
I was so shocked to imagine the pain that the girl that was sitting in front of me
had to go through. I was burned once by boiling water and I was crying and I still
remember to this day the pain that I felt. Watching that little girl there with such
strength made me realize how lucky I am that I never had to go through anything like
that. I tried to understand the parent too, why he had not taken his child to the
hospital, one of them was the lack of resources. Maybe they did not have money or
another one that I thought about was that maybe the parents were too scared of taking
their child to the hospital for the fear of their baby being taken away from them.
Another story that really impacted my life that day was a mother with two children,
her daughter, who was four years old and her son who was 18 months they suffered from
Treacher Collins Syndrome. Since the first time that I saw that little boy walk into
the room my heart melted, he is such an angel. He was so happy, smiling the whole
time and also he was so protective of his sister as the doctor was doing the check
up on his sister he would stand right next to her and just carefully watch. He kept
trying to reach for his sister to hold him, the connection they had was so wonderful.
The mother was really relaxed and she was answering to every question without any
problem. The girl was going for her fifth reconstructive surgery unfortunately the
syndrome had affected more the girl than her brother, she had problem with vision
and had two procedures done on her head to reconstruct her cranial bones and two others
on her facial bones. This time they were going to have her go in for eye surgery to
help her with her vision since her eyes could not look straight. The Doctor finished
by asking the mother questions, asked if she knew if it was a gene or a syndrome,
the mother’s comfort changed the moment that she heard that question. Her posture
changed, her shoulders slowly went down along with her face. She said, “I carry the
gene.” The chance of her children having this condition is 50% since the dad did not
carry the gene, but unfortunately the children were born with this condition. I was
amazed that she still decided to have her baby. I say this because I can only imagine
how hard it can be taking care of a child with Treacher Collins Syndrome because this
syndrome can affect several parts of the body such as vision. I wanted to let her
know how proud of her I was because there are several parents that would of chose
to not have to go through the struggle of taking care of them or the difficulty that
this syndrome may bring their child such as bullying.
Another girl that I got really attached to was a beautiful eight year old that was
from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. She had ears six times as big as any girl her
age. She was such a diva. She had this way of talking and fortunately she knew how
beautiful she was, but the only thing that she did not like about herself was her
ears. I got really attached to this girl because she reminded me of myself at her
age. On the day of the surgery, I did not want her to go on without her knowing that
I was going to wait for her until she came out, and as soon as that girl walked into
the post-operation room, she smiled and hugged me. I felt such a joy that in some
way and she felt comfortable with me. Another girl that was going to go into surgery
suffered of Microtia and she was with her mother who was from a common land in Mexico.
They lived traditionally and had a farm; she would ride horses and do parades with
the dresses that her grandmother made for her. I was able to translate for her on
the day of the surgery when the nurse came to let her know that in any second her
girl was going to go into surgery I could see the worried look in her eyes. I could
feel her sadness, but at the same time her hope. As the girl was walking into the
operating room and her mom had to let her go and watch her leave, she crumbled and
started too cry and I did too. I hugged her and I said that I was sure that her child
was going to come out fine.
After everyone left, the Fresh Start staff and I stayed because I wanted the parents
of those children to know exactly what was going to happen after surgery. I felt their
frustration as I was wondering how hard it could be for a parent to have to sit through
a procedure that was being explained to them but that they could not fully understand.
Every parent wants to know what to do after surgery. I stayed for them and because
I realize how much I loved every second of it.
I was able to learn about the procedures and I also was able to understand and practice
some terminology that was being used by the doctor. I also learned that my passion
for nursing and helping others affirmed my career path. I am glad to say that this
service did not affect me any way it actually helped me realize and know how lucky
I am. I am truly changed by this experience; I have changed into a better person.
I have learned that there are children out there who are going through so much and
still have a huge smile and a positive attitude. So this gives me strength to know
that I can do it! And I realize how thankful I am for not having any physical deformities
or syndromes affecting my life. Because of this I am strong enough to volunteer on
January 9, 2016 for the next surgical week. I am excited to meet more children and
be able to talk to them and provide the parents with my services.
Works Cited
“Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate: Causes and Treatments,” WebMD. WebMD, 2005. Web. 2015.
“Craniofacial (Hemifacial) Microsomia.” Craniofacial (Hemifacial) Microsomia. KidsHealth.
Web.10 Dec. 2015.
“Hemangioma.”- Mayo Clinic. 18 July 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
“How we work. Fresh Start Surgical Gifts How We Work.. n.d .2014. Web.01 Dec.2015.
Hyde, Patrice, “Port-Wine Stans.” KidsHealth. The Nemours Foundation. 1 Sept. 2013.
Web.10 Dec.2015
“Giant Congenital Nevus: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. ‘U.S National Library of
Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 20 Nov. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
‘’Microtia- Congenital Ear Deformity Institute. San Antonio.” WebMD. n.d. Web. 01
Dec. 2015. “Neurofibromatosis.”- Mayo Clinic. 3 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Dec.2015.
“Treacher Collins Syndrome.” Genetics Home Reference. MayoClinic. n.d. Dec. 2015.
Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
Using my Interest in Food
Darlene Yazza-Ruiz
Nutrition 100: Nutrition Today
Instructor: Gail Meinhold
Some people say ignorance is bliss and for most people that quote rings true until
knowledge of being informed opens your eyes like a flash of lightning. My eyes were
opened when I decided to return to school at age 38. I was a stay at home mother of
three wonderful kids. My oldest is 13 and I have 6 year old twins. I am very fortunate
that I had the opportunity to spend their entire early childhood with them but as
time moved on, they got bigger and school became their priority. My oldest was already
in school most of the day but my twins had just finished half day kindergarten and
were going to start all day 1st grade. I was about to have time on my hands after
six wonderful years with them. What was I to do now? I had been a bookkeeper by trade
and I could have gone back to work but the thought of being confined to a desk for
eight hours pushing paper got me sick just thinking about it. Although bookkeeping
is a great trade to know, it wasn’t my passion. I decided to gather all the books
I owned (which was a ton of books), I piled them into groups and I asked myself, “What
is my passion?” Most of my books that I owned were cook books, nutrition books, gardening
books, self-help books and art books. Through my little experiment, I figured I loved
food, I wanted to be healthy, I’m a creative hard worker and I enjoy making people
feel good. I decided I needed to go back to school and use my interests to create
something great.
I enrolled at Mira Costa College and decided to take a nutrition class and a psychology
class to start off my journey. Both classes complimented each other but every assignment
and lecture from my Nutrition class was inspiring and the knowledge seemed to just
sink into my brain. I realized that my Nutrition class fueled my interests and I was
excited to learn more and share my knowledge with others.
I decided to take on the extra credit assignment to volunteer with the service learning
department. I spent Friday mornings at my twin’s elementary school and volunteered
to help them with their garden. The first Friday I pulled out all the weeds from a
small plot and got the soil ready for the kids to plant seeds. When it was time to
plant on the second Friday, I gathered three kids at a time and showed them how and
where to dig the holes to plant the seeds. I explained to them how soil and water
help the seeds grow and why we need to eat food grown from the earth. I informed them
that food from the earth has vitamins, minerals and gives our bodies energy to help
our bodies grow strong and healthy. Many of them did not know what vitamins were,
so I explained to them that our bodies were like plants. We need to eat food to give
us energy and when we eat the fruits and vegetables we get vitamins and minerals that
protect us and keep our bodies working properly as we grow. We also need water just
like plants do every day to keep us hydrated, clean our insides and lube our joints
so we can always run and play. Even though most of the children did not know what
vitamins were, I was impressed by their knowledge of carrots and how they knew carrots
were good for your eyesight. They also knew that eating an apple a day will keep the
doctor away. Every other Friday we would tend to the garden and wait for our seeds
to grow. As the seeds started to sprout so did their excitement for taking care of
their garden. The school had a garden for each grade level and hopefully they will
continue to get excited about gardening as they get older.
My next volunteer project was to create a presentation board about nutrition for the
MiraCosta college night at Del Rio Elementary School. I was already half way through
the semester in my nutrition class and I had already learned so much. I wanted to
share my knowledge and some hot topics that would be interesting to parents and children.
I decided my presentation board was going to be about sugar, healthy snacks, and junk
drinks. I gave parents a paper handout that listed fifty different healthy snacks
and how to prepare them. My board had common lunch items that many parents give their
children as snacks such as Nutella with breadsticks, yogurt, Snickers chocolate bar,
mini chocolate chip cookies, instant oatmeal and gummy candy. I placed sugar cubes
above these items to show how much sugar was in each snack. I had a cooler with different
packaged drinks that are usually packed with a lunch, and attached to them were baggies
of how many sugar cubes were in each drink. The surprise came when I explained to
them how many cubes of sugar can be ingested throughout the day, when combining sugary
drinks with one or more of these snacks. Most of them were flabbergasted to see how
much sugar their child may be consuming.
Next, I explained to them the importance of water and the benefits of drinking water
every day. Water is vital to our existence, it keeps us alive. It has many different
functions throughout our entire body. It also has zero calories and it won’t add unnecessary
amounts of sugar to the diet. During my presentation when I replaced the sugary drinks
with water, the amount of sugar consumed went down. I thought this was a great first
step for anyone to take towards a healthier diet.
My overall involvement with sharing my time to talk about the importance of nutrition
with children and parents was an enlightening experience. I enjoyed spending time
with the kids as we created a garden together. I loved how they showed great interest
throughout the entire process of gardening. The happiness they got from watering and
watching the seeds sprout were proud moments. The knowledge they gained about gardening
at such a young age hopefully will carry on with them forever and shared with many.
The same goes for the parents and kids who were interested in my presentation board.
They all left home learning something they didn’t know before and I felt satisfied
knowing that they left informed. As we grow our dietary needs change and I believe
every person should be well educated and learn how to take care of their bodies as
they age. Through proper eating habits, physical activity and nutritious food everyone
can have success at living a long healthy and happy life.
Never Too Late
Leslie Snyder
Nutrition 100: Nutrition Today
Instructor: Gail Meinhold
This Fall I began to work on my AA here at Mira Costa, at the generously gorgeous
age of 46! Which is a whole other story, but I just wanted to mention that it’s never
too late to start a new juncture in life, from a 25 plus year stay at home mom to
college student. Nutrition is a pretty standard general education requirement so I
started here. It may sound like a class that will be fairly easy, and the professor
is very straight forward in letting you know from the get go that this will be a very
academic venture, not just a fad diet exercise class. Which I was prepared to tackle
head on, however with the newness of college and a history of not so excellent nutrition
it proved to be challenging and I found myself in need of extra credit, hence my experience
with service learning.
I decided to take the challenge of participating in a College Night event at a local
elementary school. Del Rio Elementary School is a K thru 5th grade school serving
a 66% Hispanic/Latina student body, with only 21 % proficient in English. The school
also has a high lower income % rate of 86. More concerning is the parent college graduate
rate of only 16%. This makes a college night very encouraging to these young children,
getting them to strive for more in an educational path. The night includes many Mira
Costa student representatives in different areas of college, from class information,
to clubs, to financial planning, to cultural events and much much more. This was to
show children and their parent the many great experiences in attending our local community
college, and how accessible it really is. The highlight of the evening was a guest
speaker, former Del Rios Elementary student and a Mira Costa graduate. It was very
encouraging to the children and families to realize the great potential available
to everyone. My service learning endeavor was to present a bit of what they could
learn from the Nutrition 100 class. I decided this would be appropriate since it was
a school that serves a large amount of low-income families. Most students are likely
on some kind of budget so the food, or more so, drink choices may not always be as
healthy as possible. I set up a table to demonstrate the drink choices, the amounts
of sugar and the amount of exercise needed to burn off these empty calories.
I set out a display of all orange colored drinks along with the ever popular Big Gulp,
milk and water. Next to each of these I filled a zip lock bag full of sugar with the
written amount of teaspoons inside that each drink contained. I then let the crowds
come to me. Sadly, most kid thought I was offering them these familiar beverages.
Instead they got a description of just how much white granulated sugar they would
be drinking with these choices. The children picked up the bags of sugar, ranging
from 2 % teaspoon to nearly 25%. This really drove home the weight size feel and actual
mass of the sugar physically. Most of them were shocked; however, the shock of their
parents was greater. Kids were surprised that even what seemed like healthy choices
like milk or pure fresh squeezed orange juice had so much sugar. The display had a
chart stating the main effects of too much sugar consumption, obesity and tooth decay.
Each child was told about the different amount of exercise they would be required
to do after even one drink, ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Over all it was a good experience to be able to teach and educate young children in
our community. It was valuable information that can help them make better choices
before they fill up a Big Gulp or a can of soda. It was a great feeling to see a child’s
WOW moment. I do hope that this made an impact on even one child and one parent. If
the information I shared stays with even one person, it was worth the efforts. It
feels good to be out in the community. I had my son help me set up the display so
I know over the course of the night he was exposed to a great encouragement about
attending college as well as driving home the reason why I rarely let him have soda.
It was a fun fulfilling experience and I would recommend it to others in the future.
A Special Reflection
Zeyna Malas
Sociology 102: Contemporary Social Problems
Instructor: Leyenda Jacobson
The organization I happily served was Special Olympics. Special Olympics is a non-profit
that focuses on helping mentally-disabled people excel, get stronger and accomplish
overcoming their fears through sports and athleticism. It has been scientifically
proven many times how beneficial the effect that physical fitness and competition
has on one’s brain, and I saw first-hand how it helps many people across all ages.
Through sports, the mentally disabled can stream their focus into the sport rather
than their mental condition, and channel all that mental energy to become a stronger,
smarter person as a result. Quoted from the Special Olympics website, “Through sports,
our athletes are seeing themselves for their abilities, not disabilities. Their world
is opened with acceptance and understanding. They become confident and empowered by
their accomplishments. They are also making new friends, as part of the most inclusive
community on the planet — a global community that is growing every day.” This statement
is the basis of the Special Olympics philosophy, which made volunteering very joyful.
While volunteering at Special Olympics, I spent most of my time on the soccer field,
assisting coaches by interacting with athletes who are eight years old and above.
I’d come in to practices on Wednesdays, in the Kroc Center, El Cajon, about fifteen
minutes early to help the coach setup before all the athletes come in. He’d tell me
what drills the athletes were going to do and what skills they’re going to practice,
depending on the upcoming competition. The athletes show up at around six-thirty o’clock,
along with their families and other volunteers and assistant coaches. The main coach
starts off the training with a big huddle of the whole team to let them know what
they’re doing for the day, and us assistant coaches would have to facilitate the drills,
be very supportive and have fun interacting with the students. Because the athletes
had disabilities, each with different intensities and conditions, we had to be very
careful when facilitating the drills, and make sure to raise their self-esteem by
constantly cheering them on and supporting their every move. As time passed, we’d
end up doing three or four drills and end practice with a friendly soccer game. This
was when all the coaches, volunteers, and athletes joined and put their skills, joy
and friendship to action.
The service experience connected with the course material in several ways. One of
which was definitely the role that claims-makers had on the media and public reaction.
The organization has considerably built a strong foundation when it comes to public
relations and connecting with the locals and the world. Through simply following Special
Olympics accounts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, I’ve witnessed how many followers
Special Olympics has and continues to gain. Not only is it a remarkable organization,
but also turning into a social movement (also another concept we’ve learned in class).
I saw the role landmark narratives had on athletes, and have seen how responsive policy
makers, celebrities and global figures have been with the organization, giving it
very high respect.
My overall experience in Special Olympics was one I’m so grateful for, and continue
to be as I strive to volunteer after this assignment. From the first day I volunteered,
I was welcomed by a big hug from one of the athletes - Eric, one of the oldest athletes
in that center, who’s been with Special Olympics for 19 years and has recently passed
his Bar Law Examination. He was a thirty-year-old with a twelve-year old voice and
actions, also being one of the friendliest and strongest person I’ve ever met. Another
example of why I’m going to continue being a part of the Special Olympics community
is Danny, a 9 year old who spoke for the first time in his life in Special Olympics
practice the week prior to my first week of volunteering. These people, since the
first day of practicing with them and having fun, were hugging me and thanking me
for being with them. I saw how much they were in need, in need of personal support
and in need of love. Through Special Olympics, these kids flourish and are the happiest
when in the center, you could see it in their eyes and what they say. Special Olympics
has made me into a much more humble, happier and more well-rounded person, and I will
continue to spread awareness and volunteer for the organization.
A Community Learning Reflection
Celeste Angeles
English 50: Introduction to College Composition
Instructor: Jacob Strona
The community organization I served was at the MiraCosta Community Learning Center.
MiraCosta's Community Learning Center(CLC) offers non-credit fee base classes and
also along with many other programs like citizenship, ESL, high school diploma and
GED classes, and short-term vocational. They also provide counseling, transferring,
and tutoring services just like Oceanside MiraCosta's main campus. The CLC is for
anyone who wants to continue school, get a diploma or their GED, or those who cannot
afford to attend college. My first day of service learning was helping Angela, an
English teacher that paired with professor Strona work an event. The event was the
Reading Festival; it allowed students that go to the CLC and also the public to bring
their children for a night of literacy. The second time I went back to the CLC was
for another event; this event was for the students at the CLC. Inside the CLC, we
had tables set up for them to go around and learn about Chinese New Year but also
tying it in with literacy. My station was Chinese art, so students had the option
to make a Chinese fan or write a positive note and the next person that came along
would pick one out of a bowl, almost like a fortune cookie.
My experience at the CLC was phenomenal; I learned that it is important to give back
to our community. I also learned something about myself; I learned that I enjoyed
volunteering and missed doing something that I feel helps make a difference. My experience
with community service throughout middle school and high school made an impact on
me. I don’t mind giving up some of my time to help or serve my community; I find it
fun and helpful. I do feel like I made a difference. When I assisted at the second
event the students at the CLC looked like they enjoyed students from MiraCosta volunteering;
they were so grateful, and I can see they had fun learning about the Chinese culture.
One thing I did not experience was any criticisms, but I did get complimented for
being there and helping out. When Professor Strona mentioned service learning was
going to be at the CLC, my first reaction was how was I going to get there and fitting
it into my schedule. Also, during my start of service-learning, I used public transportation,
so it was a bit difficult because getting around on the bus takes some time to get
from one destination to another.
During my experience at MiraCosta's Community Learning Center I felt like those who
attend are very fortunate to do so because many people in our community do not know
about the CLC. In relation to literacy, service learning did help me understand concepts
of my English course and how similar my class is to the CLC English class. When I
helped Angela's class, they were in the process of writing an essay which I can relate
to because my English class was also working on an essay during that time. I was able
to use my knowledge of how to compose an essay and help the students at the CLC with
theirs. Also, in some ways helping the CLC students helped me to retain some information
on how to write a paper. This experience enriched my education and career goals, which
pleased me because I was not sure about service learning at the beginning of the semester.
By helping students at the CLC, I started to reflect on my education and career goals.
My new goals consist of working with students, although with service learning I helped
adult students but I would like to continue working with children. I also realized
that all of my community services I have done throughout middle and high school was
working with kids, and now, I work with children at an elementary school. I would
like to take more child development classes because it would help me understand the
growth of children. I am still quite unsure what I would want to do with a degree
in child development, but I do know I want to keep working with students. I love helping
the young ones because I can be a mentor to them, someone they can look up too.
The Real Ecology of Teaching
Sarah Braden
Child Development 210: Child, Family, and Community
Instructor: Claudia Flores
For my service learning I chose to go Ivey Ranch Elementary that is located in Oceanside,
where I chose to work with a second grade class with the students ranging from ages
seven to eight. I chose these ages because I want to work with this age group when
I become a teacher. I found it to be a really fun job so I figured that it would good
to see if I liked these ages as much as I did when I was younger. My first observation
was that the atmosphere was inviting and fun with all the students’ art tiles around
the walls of the entrance of the school, and the two nice playgrounds for children
to use during recess and lunch. Finally, all the classrooms seemed personalized, the
teacher made each class seem unique, to their students.
I was able to make many connections between this child development 210 course and
the service learning experience. I was able to see in practice many examples of the
methods of socialization. The main method that I noticed mostly was the operant methods
of socialization in the use of techniques of reinforcement, punishment and feedback.
This intentional socialization of values, attitudes and morals was the most frequent
form of socialization in this classroom in instances where the teacher used positive
reinforcement such as giving fun class jobs to students that exhibit a desirable behavior.
Also, with the use negative punishment of students having to move their class clip
down on the behavioral chart that results in being the last the leave class to show
the consequence of being disruptive in class frequently in a class day.
In addition, the other major connection between the text and the service learning
experience is seeing the real life ecology of teaching. I noticed in my service learning
that the democratic leadership style that is characterized with the “leader guiding
and collaborating with the students results in a content, cooperative and productive
group” (Bems 219). Ms. Dikiy, the teacher I worked with demonstrated this leadership
style many times and I noticed the benefits almost immediately. The students seem
to have felt they had guidelines to stick to, but they were in control to see what
worked best for them in how they worked as individuals. Also, I saw how having some
key characteristics as a teacher can have an effect on how effective/successful a
teacher is in their classroom. As Bems states “teacher-child relationships are significant
factors in school success” and a teacher is one of the single most important part
that makes up the school as an agency of socialization for children. Some of the key
characteristics that Ms. Dikiy displayed were warmth and friendliness with her students.
This made her class very comfortable to ask her questions and be excited to learn
new topics. Having these positive traits in the classroom definitely has a strong
correlation with having a strong learning environment.
This service learning experience allowed me to get an idea of what it would be like
following my career path of becoming a second grade elementary teacher. This experience
helped me feel more comfortable in my career path than before having little experience
in a classroom setting. After working with a teacher for a few weeks, I feel like
I have an idea of what to expect. This work with second graders has helped me consider
a career as a second grade teacher. I really enjoyed working with this age group because
I like the cognitive and social development stage they are in. Completing service
learning helped me grow as person because it allowed me feel more sure that a teaching
career is a good fit for me.
I would recommend Ivey Ranch Elementary offer healthier lunch options. Not much has
changed since they have similar lunches that I use to get when I went to school. To
offer healthier choices, I believe they should try to incorporate fresh lunches that
are made that morning. They are on the right track with offering fruit and a salad
bar for the students to eat as sides.
Work Cited
Bems, R. M. (2004). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (9th
ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
